Potter, the Poltergeist
by PocketTheFool
Summary: Harry's best friends are attached at the lips, the twins are his go-to comforters and he's about to attend his eighth year at Hogwarts. Things are certainly changing for the savior of the wizarding world, but they're nothing compared to the events that occur due to an unfortunate Potions accident... Or fortunate Potions accident? Maybe Draco Malfoy can help him figure it all out.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I only own the plot._

 _Thwack!_

Harry woke with a jerk, the pillow he'd been hit with slipping of the bed and onto the floor.

"Come on, mate. Mum's got breakfast ready," his best friend Ron informed him through an already full mouth.

Reaching blindly for his glasses that he knew were on the nightstand, he finally located them and rammed them on his face, his movements uncoordinated and jerky to due to sleepiness. Harry acknowledged Ron's announcement with a vague wave and grumble. Satisfied that his message had been delivered, Ron trooped back downstairs to finish his- and probably half of Harry's- breakfast. Groaning, Harry peeled his blankets back and pulled himself to the edge of the bed and sat up.

Forearms resting on his knees, Harry hung his head, absently studying his pale, bare torso and legs. With a last cursory glance at his white toes, which contrasted greatly against the dark wood floor, Harry stood and began rummaging around in his trunk for something to wear. Digging through his trunk, Harry quickly became disgusted with his clothing and the state of them. How had he never noticed how ratty they were? He settled on his least baggy jeans and a red t-shirt that was too faded to make out what had once been adorning its front. Snatching out a pair of socks, Harry closed his trunk and plopped himself onto the floor next to his trainers to dress his feet.

Yawning and having to retie his left shoe twice, he decided he was relatively presentable and heaved himself off the bright orange throw rug and out the door. Once in the bathroom, Harry made quick work of washing his face. He followed this by harshly brushing at his teeth while eyeing himself critically in the mirror. A bit peaky, as always, accentuated by the dark circles under his eyes, hair a mess of inky black feathered strands going in all directions. Harry spat out the toothpaste foam and rinsed his mouth. Baring his teeth, he clacked them together thrice in quick succession. He eyed the hair brush in the cabinet and shrugged. Grabbing it, he ran it through the nest on his head as best he could. He returned the brush to the cabinet with less bristles than when he got it out, and checked in the mirror for any improvement.

"Nope."

Turning off the light in the bathroom Harry went downstairs to join the rest of the Weasley's. He reached the kitchen and sat in the only empty seat between Fred and George and started piling eggs and sausages onto his plate, while a piece of toast was clamped between his teeth. A pale, freckled arm crossed his field of vision and placed the hot sauce next to his plate and retreated. Looking at George, Harry's mouth twitched upwards into a small smile. "Thanks, George."

The red-head responded with a simple, "Mhmm," and returned to his own breakfast.

Hearing Harry's voice, Molly Weasley turned around from her monitoring the food cooking itself on the stove. "Oh, good morning Harry, dear. Did you get enough sleep?"

Harry's insomnia and nightmares were well-known at the Burrow, as he often woke them from their own slumbers with his screaming. That, or the creaking his feet made on the stairs when he walked down the many floors into the family room to read when sleep escaped him.

"Yes, thank you Mrs. Weasley," he replied automatically as he always did when she asked.

Mrs. Weasley nodded her acceptance of his answer and returned her attention to the sizzling sausages. Harry added liberal amounts of the hot sauce to his eggs and took a heaping mouthful, reminiscent of Ron. Another arm shot into view from his other side this time, and deposited a cup of what smelled like strong coffee in front of him. Fred retracted his arm, only to snatch the sugar from its place in front of Charlie ("Hey!") who had been adding some to his tea, and setting it next to Harry's steaming coffee cup. George quickly followed the action by handing Harry a fresh teaspoon to stir with.

Harry's small smile from before returned, a bit wider this time. "Thanks, guys," he said to them.

"You're welcome, Harry," they returned in their customary synchronicity.

Chewing a pleasing combination of eggs, sausage and toast, Harry doctored up his coffee and took a grateful drink, then let out an unconscious hum of contentment. Ron and Charlie across the table, and the twins beside him all glanced up from their plates at the sound, and grinned fondly at him.

The meal continued peacefully with idle chit chat between chews of the delicious food. A quiet combination of softly spoken words, cutlery clinking against dishes and Mr. Weasley's newspaper rustling intermittently, filled the room. Harry was content to simply soak up the familial atmosphere that seemed to exist solely in the Burrow. At some point, George's arm ended up laying along the back of Harry's chair, brushing Harry's back as it rested there. Meanwhile, Fred had slouched enough to comfortably rest his head atop Harry's shoulder and was dozing lightly.

The other Weasley's had long since gotten used to the closeness between the three. After Harry defeated Voldemort for the final time- shortly before which, Harry had died himself- Harry started struggling. The first thing to change was his sleeping habits. While he's never had what one would call a normal sleep pattern, he now either hardly got any rest, or his rest was punctuated by terrible visions of the past and the dead. Because of this Harry's mood was affected, in that his temper was much shorter than usual, which was really saying something as he wasn't the most level-headed person on a good day.

While Ron and Hermione were both wrapped up in their new romance, it was the twins that noticed Harry's altered state and confronted him about it. At ease between the two trouble-makers, Harry thought back to their intervention and the events leading up to it, and shook his head. Thank Merlin for Gred and Forge.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: This chapter and the next chapter will be backstory of how Fred, George and Harry became so close._

 _Disclaimer: I only own the plot._

 _Harry had been sitting in the Great Hall at lunch time five day after the final battle, moodily stabbing at his steak and kidney pie. Ron and Hermione watched him from the other side of the table, both eating less aggressively than Harry. Hermione had a wary and inquisitive expression, whist Ron was looking simply puzzled, if slightly cautious. They had both chosen to sit across from Harry that day, in case he snapped at them once again, and half-afraid that he would use his utensils as weapons._

 _Harry had been short, rude and sometimes downright nasty since the final battle, and as Ron and Hermione were in his immediate vicinity the majority of the time, they tended to take the brunt of his ire. The three friends and the rest of the Weasley family had been among those that volunteered to stay and help put Hogwarts to rights. Though after the castle had seen so much violence and death, there was little chance it would ever be the same as it once was. Still they spent their days clearing rubble, repairing the buildings and strengthening the wards around the castle, trying to bring their beloved school back to its former glory._

 _That morning Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George and Percy had been tasked with separating larger wall portions from the debris at the north side of the school. Fred, George and Percy had become closer and friendlier toward one another since Percy had blocked a deadly spell that came altogether too close to killing Fred during the fight._

}{

 _A well-placed and quickly executed shield charm had erupted around Fred with enough force to knock the attacking death eater through the wall behind him. The three brothers were all panting in fear, and exertion in Percy's case and they all came to the same realization: Fred had almost been killed and Percy had saved him._

 _The twins' eyes had started to water in horror and gratitude while they reached for each other to reassure themselves they were still together. They both reached for Percy, unable to express the appreciation they felt for his intervention. The brothers held on to each other and Fred choked out, "Perce…" and his voice failed him. George followed up with a sobbed, "W- We…"and broke off. Percy simply hugged his brothers to him, feeling their whole undamaged frames in his arms and whispered, "I know." He had pulled away only enough to look into each set of eyes, glad to see them still clear and bright with life._

 _They all released their grips fully then and quickly wiped at their eyes. George sniffled once more and cleared his throat. He looked to his siblings, "Well that was bloody terrifying. What do you boys say we go make those bastards regret ever trying to tear apart Gred and Forge, eh?"_

 _Fred chuckled, "Hell yeah, I'm in." Turning to their older brother he asked, "What say you, Perce? Wanna help us make some death eaters cry?" Percy's face at once became predatory. "Definitely."_

}{

 _Since then the twins had laid off Percy and chose others to be the targets of their plotting… most of the time. Percy in turn was a drastically changed man. While he definitely still enjoyed the sound of his own voice, he was more relaxed and at ease with his family, whom had all forgiven him as soon as he stepped through that passageway in the Room of Requirement._

 _So while the twins were working on sifting through the dust and dirt for large stone pieces, they also were sending dust configurations at Percy to form handprints on his clothes in certain areas on his body that made him blush to the tips of his ears. He would bluster and retaliate, at one point uncovering a metal leg that clearly belonged to one of the suits of armor, which was noticeably absent. Percy quickly charmed the leg to chase after Fred and George, kicking them in their arses repeatedly as they tried to outrun it. Brothers._

 _Hermione and Ron, both with dust streaked faces and dirty clothes were laughing openly at the display. Harry watched the scene and felt only annoyance._ Didn't they realize they had to get this done? This was going to take forever already without them larking about. They were supposed to be taking care of Hogwarts, not wasting time _. He huffed and turned from the lively scene to continuing his digging._

 _Percy who had been watching the twins' progress through the grounds and refusing to answer his brothers' pleas for mercy, had seen Harry's face as he turned away. While he wasn't close with Harry, the boy he remembered would have been laughing along with his friends at the show. Concerned for the young man, Percy cancelled the spell, much to Fred and George's relief and the disappointment of Ron and Hermione. Harry, already hard at work was joined again by his two best friends, while the older red-head waited for his brothers to make their way back. He had something to discuss with them._

 _Finally after a good three minute walk (they had ended up circling the Whomping Willow in their haste to escape) the twins made it back to where they were working before the arse-kicking business started. They arrived to the sight of the younger three working away, chatting amicably about the progress made on the castle so far, rumors that had been spreading and possible lunch food to be served that day. Fred and George looked toward their older brother and spotted him staring at Harry avidly, with a slight frown and furrowed brow._

 _Curious at Percy's interest in the smaller black-haired man, the twins approached him._

 _George began, "Why, Percy! I'm surprised at you!"_

 _Fred seconded, "Indeed, as am I! Lewdly ogling poor Harry like a piece of meat you'd like to sink your teeth into."_

 _Back and forth the two continued their diatribe._

 _George: "For shame, brother, for shame."_

 _Fred: "We know he's quite lovely."_

 _George: "Quite fit, yes we've noticed."_

 _Fred: "However!"_

 _George: "He really has enough on his plate, wouldn't you reckon?"_

 _Fred: "He doesn't need us,"_

 _George: "Or you for that matter,"_

 _Fred: "Drooling all over him."_

 _Together: "And in public!"_

 _Percy, who had been listening to their lecture with growing horror, finally managed to gasp out, "WHAT?! No! I was… I was waiting for you two- and he- I-I- Oh bollocks." He gestured for the two to follow him and led them to a deserted corridor just inside the castle where they could still see the young workers huffing and puffing, never the wiser._

 _Arriving in a niche large enough to fit them, Percy turned to face his brothers, still looking slightly gobsmacked. "Merlin, you two like to jump to conclusions, don't you?"_

 _George turned to Fred and Fred mimicked the action, then both shifted back to eyeing Percy. "Uh Perce, we saw you staring at Harry just now," George stated._

" _Quite pointedly," added Fred who was nodding in agreement._

 _Percy huffed out a breath. "Well yes, obviously I was staring, but not for THAT reason."_

 _The twins just grinned at him, clearly thinking he was trying to save face._

" _No. Hey! I'm serious, you two. Haven't you noticed something is off with Harry?" He looked inquiringly at his brothers. Their smiles faded as they both realized Percy was being honest about his concern. Each considered separately what Percy could be talking about._

 _Fred had noticed Harry's lack of appetite, though he'd always eaten a bit less than he should. A bit less so even than that now, though. George had noticed the ever-growing circles under his eyes, the green of them even greener in contrast, and perhaps with an unhealthy sheen? They both had taken note of how little he laughed these days. As prank-players and mischief-makers laughter was their business, and Harry's lackluster chuckle had stood out the most._

 _Having come to the same conclusion as Percy, the twins nodded to each other, vowing to keep watch on their little friend. Percy saw the silent communication and understood that his worries were not unjustified. He grinned at them, and patted them each on the shoulder, feeling lighter. Everything would be alright, the twins were on it._

 _The elder three joined the young workers in lifting a particularly large piece of stone wall from the debris and adding it to the growing pile of useable parts. The group all continued on working for another couple of hours with a smattering of curse words being either mumbled or shouted depending on the circumstance. At one memorable instant, Hermione had been focused on collecting all of the wing fragments from a gargoyle that had been complaining quite loudly about its predicament. Its torso, head and neck were still connected and had been uncovered only minutes before, when Ron had decided to scare Hermione by jumping at her from behind._

 _Hermione gasped and whirled, sending the pile of rock wing she had been gathering in her arms straight at Ron's midsection in defense. Ron flew backwards with an, "Oomph," and landed on the ground, coughing. Fred and George were leaning on each other laughing and Hermione hurried over to Ron, with Percy following. "Oh my goodness Ron, I am so sorry! Are you alright? Really, what were you thinking being so reckless in an environment as unstable as this one? What if I had been carrying something larger? What if they had hit your head instead of your stomach? And imagine your body had flown further and hit an unstable section of wall?! The whole thing could have fallen to pieces around us!"_

 _Percy, who had finished getting the rock off his brother and assessing for any injuries, seemed to think Hermione had the scolding well in hand and was simply nodding along in agreement. He occasionally made small sounds of assent: "Mhmm… Yep… Exactly," while looking disapproving._

 _Ron, who had been watching Hermione lecture him with a combined air of shock and annoyance, finally stood and voiced his irritation. "What? Me?! Have you gone mental? I'm not the one flinging stone, here!"_

" _You startled me! What did you expect? A chorus of Tiptoe through the Tulips?!" Hermione shot back._

" _Well I certainly didn't expect I'd be clobbered by gargoyle chunks! It was just a joke!" Ron defended. The gargoyle shifted a bit hearing this, trying to discern what had happened to his body parts from his less than advantageous vantage point on the ground. Hermione scoffed, "Oh yes, hilarious, Ronald."_

 _Bending down, she began picking up the wing fragments again, and Ron joined her. He kept glancing at her surreptitiously from under his overgrown fringe, trying to determine how cross she really was. Finally having collected all of the gargoyle's pieces, the couple walked in tense silence to return them to the (still) complaining statue that was now grumbling about, "disrespectful war heroes who thought they could muck about with an innocent bystanders bits just because they saved the bloody world." Hermione shot an exasperated look at the statue and sent a Patronus to Professor Flitwick telling him about the statue's need for repair. Harry who had been thoroughly unamused by the spectacle cast a Tempus and seeing that it was almost lunch time anyway, suggested they head in early so they could all get washed up before they ate._

 _They all agreed and trooped back inside the castle, heading toward Gryffindor tower where they were all staying while the repairs were taking place. They were all of age now and technically not students at the moment so the sleeping arrangements were quite lax. Ron had taken to bunking in the girls dormitories with Hermione, claiming it helped them both with the nightmares that visited each of them at night. And if anything went on between the two that went beyond mildly affectionate comforting, they didn't share it with Harry and he was perfectly fine with that._

 _The couple headed up one staircase and the remaining boys headed up the other. Tired from the manual (and magical) labor of the morning, they were all relatively quiet. The twins headed off to the dormitory to Harry's right and Percy trailed after to the next door down from them. Finally alone in his room, Harry allowed himself to slump against the closed door. He was tired. Allowing his knees to give out, he slid completely to the floor and just gazed into nothingness. Merlin, he was tired. Even holding his spine up was an effort for him and he was fighting the impulse to just allow himself to slump entirely onto the floor in the fetal position and give into unconsciousness._

 _Harry knew this exhaustion he felt wasn't due to magical strain from the work on Hogwarts. He was simply emotionally drained. Every day he woke up and just wanted to stay in bed. He didn't want to interact with others or deal with the stares he received, accompanied by the hushed tones of awe that floated up around him when he entered a room. All of it grated on his nerves until he found himself gritting his teeth in an effort not to shout at them all to get the fuck over it._

 _Yes, he defeated Voldemort but that was just a pretty way of saying it. He had_ killed _Voldemort. Harry didn't utter a single offensive spell, but the results were the same. Because of his efforts and actions another person had died, and he had done it all on purpose. He had been honestly doing everything he could to kill Voldemort, knowing it was the only way to save the wizarding world from the rule of a genocidal maniac. That didn't change the fact that he had taken another person's life; something that he had no right to take._

 _And Harry was being hailed for it. For murder, he was being showered in praise and thanked by the masses. Oh, how he hated it._

 _Pulling himself from his dark thoughts, Harry heaved himself to his feet and headed over to his trunk and started gathering a change of clothes. He made his way to the bathroom and switched on a shower because a cleaning charm just wasn't going to cut it for him. He undressed and stepped into the cool stream of water. He had taken to having cold showers lately, they made him feel fresher somehow, almost as if he were being drenched in a cool breeze. He knew he had been sat against the door for a while longer than he intended, so he couldn't languish under the water like he usually did without making the others wonder what was taking him so long._

 _He hurried through his washing and after briefly letting the cool water rush over his upturned face, he turned off the shower and dried himself with his wand. Harry got dressed in the clothing he had chosen and worked on finger-combing his hair to get the majority of the tangles out, though he wondered why he bothered as it'd just get tangled again in five minutes. Exiting the bathroom, he grabbed a pair of socks from his trunk and his trainers that he rid of rock dust with a quick, "Scourgify," before putting them on his feet. Putting his wand in his pocket, he left the room and headed back downstairs to the common room where he found the rest of the group waiting for him._


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. I have no excuse really, I was just being lazy. And I lied before: The last chapter, this chapter and the next chapter will all be part of the Twins and Harry best friend build-up. But the next chapter will be super short, cuz it's just a little leftover from this one. And then it will go back to present-time. I'll probably post the smaller chapter and the present-time chapter on the same night soon, because I have them written, I just need to type them up. Thanks for your patience and your reviews, they are both greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoy the chapter._

 _Disclaimer: I only own the plot._

 _Once he joined them, they all headed down to the Great hall for lunch with Ron and Hermione in the lead, who appeared to have made up from the wing incident. Harry followed behind them, slightly subdued, with the three remaining red-heads trailing after him. As usual, when Harry made it into the Great Hall, a noticeable silence fell before conversation picked up again, if perhaps a bit more whispered than before he had entered._

 _He had almost made it to Gryffindor table when he was stopped by some volunteer he had never met before, thanking him for his bravery and resulting triumph over You-Know-Who. Harry simply nodded and gave a somewhat grimaced smile to the man, before taking his seat. His best friends, who had turned back to watch the interaction, chose to sit at the opposite side of the table. They knew that the effusive gratitude people showed him always put Harry in a foul mood. Percy had wandered off after entering the hall, but the twins had watched Harry's short conversation with the man, and their worries from earlier returned._

 _George, nudged his brother in the side, gesturing to a place at the table far enough away to keep an eye on Harry, without being noticed while also close enough to eavesdrop. Throughout the meal, the twins watched Harry stab at his food in clear irritation, while he really only ate a third of what he had served himself. They also noticed that while Hermione and their brother gave him a cursory glance every once in a while, they were more fixated on each other._

 _Fifteen minutes later with Harry becoming less hostile and more visibly despondent, Fred had seen enough. "Okay, that's it, I can't watch this anymore." He stood up from his seat and was quickly mimicked by his brother. The twins made their way to where Harry was staring at his goblet of pumpkin juice like it held all the secrets of the universe._

" _Hey, Harry," the twins began together._

 _Harry turned his head at their voices, "Oh, hey guys."_

 _George started, "We were wondering,"_

 _Fred continued, "If you could maybe,"_

 _George: "Come with us?"_

 _Fred: "We need to speak with you."_

 _They finished together, "It's important."_

 _Harry, whose eyes had been moving between them as they spoke, answered, "Oh, er, I don't really-,"_

" _Great!" cut in Fred, who had seized one of Harry's arms._

" _Let's go then," said George as he grabbed the other arm. They hoisted Harry out of this seat and marched him from the hall, Ron and Hermione watching them wide-eyed as the twins escorted Harry away._

 _Fred and George took Harry to the Room of Requirement where George paced in front of the wall, while Fred kept an arm around Harry's shoulder in case he tried to escape, as his fidgeting suggested he wanted to do. The door to the room appeared and the three stepped inside. Where Harry had been half-expecting to see a charred and sooty wreck, there was a pleasantly smallish room with a soft-looking brown leather sofa with two end tables facing a crackling fireplace._

 _On a coffee table in front of the sofa sat three mugs with a pot of what smelled like hot chocolate, and a plate of biscuits. On the far side of the room stood a wardrobe with the door open to reveal neatly stacked blankets and extra cushions. George gazed around the room and was looking rather pleased with the results of his pacing while his brother looked similarly impressed. "Excellent choice, Gred, looks quite cozy," commended Fred._

" _Thank you, Forge, I rather think so too," answered George._

 _Harry took in the room and was visibly flummoxed by the choice. He looked to the others. "Okay, what's with the sitting room? Why did you guys bring me here?"_

 _The twins tugged Harry to the sofa and placed him on the middle cushion with a red-head on either side. Both twins had uncommonly serious expressions and Harry couldn't help but dread whatever they were about to say to him. Fred hesitated, but with an encouraging nod from his brother, addressed Harry._

" _Harry, first off we wanted to tell you that even though we don't say it, you should know we consider you family and we care about you a great deal."_

 _When Harry only blinked in response, George picked up next, "Yeah, we know you're Ronnie's best mate, but we've always considered you a dear friend of ours as well, and we hope that you've felt the same for us."_

 _Harry, though still looking perplexed as to the direction the conversation was going, realized they were both looking at him, in want of a reply. "Yeah, of course I do. You guys mean a lot to me," he rushed to assure them._

 _Fred smiled, "Good. Well, we've brought you here because after all these years we reckon we know you pretty well. And Harry, you're starting to worry us a smidge, mate."_

 _George nodded in agreement, "You just seem so distant now, and you were practically re-butchering the meat on your plate at lunch today, Harry. We just wanted you to know that… well, that we've noticed. And you can talk to us about anything."_

" _Not that you have to," Fred interjected. "Just that you can and we're here to listen. We love you, Harry. We just wanted you to know," he finished sincerely._

 _Harry had been quiet throughout the twins' speech and he had to wonder just how apparent it was to the others how unhappy he was. "So… I must be pretty obvious, huh? You guys noticed the, er, change in demeanor, then?"_

 _He saw them share a look. "Actually," began George, "Percy noticed first. I mean we'd noticed small things…"_

" _We just didn't put together the big picture," finished Fred._

" _Oh. Well, that's embarrassing," Harry mumbled._

 _He relaxed into the sofa and felt, more than saw, the twins do the same on either side of him. His eyes wandered around the room again. Fred and George had seen him. Hell, Percy had even seen enough of a change in him to become concerned enough to approach the twins. They had brought him here in the hope that it may make him feel better, and oddly enough it did. In this tiny warm room with the flames dancing merrily in the fireplace before him, the smell of chocolate swirling around him and the peace provided by caring company, Harry felt safer than he had in some time._

 _Harry felt safe, and he felt loved. The combination caused relief to flood him so suddenly that it almost hurt. He didn't have to pretend with these two. He loved his two best friends, but they had found happiness in each other and he couldn't bring himself to taint that with his own problems after they had both sacrificed so much for him already. But the twins had made this peaceful place for him and offered support because they knew he needed it, and they wanted to._

 _Harry felt the tight ball in his chest loosen and ease significantly. They wouldn't judge him. His surroundings blurred around him as his eyes began to fill in gratitude. He didn't have to worry he was burdening them. A tear slid down his cheek and dripped off his chin onto his shirt. Fred had been watching Harry's face and saw the tear slip out, and his heart broke for the young man between him and his brother._

 _He shifted closer to Harry and put his arm through the younger man's and threaded their fingers together. George had felt the sofa shift with his twin's movements and glanced away from the fire he had been watching. Noticing more tears escape his friend's eyes, George moved to wrap and arm around his shoulders and leaned his forehead against Harry's temple. He whispered in his ear, "It's okay, Harry."_

 _The damn broke in Harry and a sob ripped through him. "I- I'm just so… tired."_

 _The twins watched as Harry fell apart between them. Weeping, an endless stream of tears rushed down his face and his chest heaved. So great was his exhaustion, it didn't even occur to him to be embarrassed, and he simply let the twins see his vulnerability. Words would come later, for now they held him while he shattered apart. Both overwhelmed by the heart-wrenching display, they let their own tears cascade silently down their faces. They were still as they cried in sympathy; this was Harry's release and they loved and respected him enough not to interfere._

 _Time passed unnoticed by the trio, who were content to just stay pressed together, soaking in the comfort they provided each other. Harry's heavy sobs gradually became quiet intermittent sniffles. He felt thoroughly empty now. His crying seemed to have cleared out the vast majority of anger and sadness he had been accumulating since his defeat of Voldemort. The twins own tears had long since dried and they had simply held Harry while his tapered off._

 _Feeling utterly comfortable and emotionally spent, Harry relaxed further into the cushions, and subsequently the twins. Harry hadn't the energy to try to maintain his dignity so he gave into his desire for closeness and snuggled into George. The taller man watched him squirm closer and smiled faintly, as did his twin. Just as Fred was thinking about how much more comfortable they could all be if the sofa was a tad bigger, he felt it widen beneath them. Blankets and extra cushions zoomed from the wardrobe and landed in a neat pile on Fred's lap. He looked down at the stack of throws, momentarily dumbstruck by just how accommodating the room was. Shaking his head in awe, Fred stood and draped a blanket over first Harry and then his brother, seeing as half of the other was trapped beneath Harry. Fred returned to his seat next to the quietly dozing man, and placed a cushion lightly against Harry's legs. He stretched out his long form on the newly enlarged sofa and let himself relax and soon joined the other two in slumber._


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: Okay, guys here's the deal. I lie. I'm a liar. And I think it's fantastic that I can be honest... about being a liar liar plants-for-hire. I will tell you things, like when the next chapter will be posted, or what the next chapters will contain or blah blah blah. And I fully intend to do the things I say I will. But I probably won't. Things change, mostly my mood. But I will make you a solemn promise right now that I will not break: I will finish this story. I won't leave you all hanging for months or years, I will finish this story. I'd now like to express my most effusive gratitude that you all have been so patient. Well, except for one of you. You know who you are. You need to chill out, and stop harassing me woman, I will post when I want to post. *stern look* Anyway, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoy the chapter._

 _Disclaimer: I only own the plot._

 _While Fred and George both slept comfortably, Harry twitched and jerked between them. Harry was in the graveyard in Little Hangleton, surrounded by death eaters with a bubbling cauldron engulfed in flames before him. The familiar scene played out in front of Harry. A writhing form emerging from where the cauldron once stood, only to solidify into the terrifying visage of… himself. His own bright green eyes gazed back at him from under a mop of unruly black hair. Darkness enshrouded the Other Harry as he pulled Voldemort's wand out from the folds of his robes. Harry watched as Other Harry turned and pointed the wand at the closest masked death eater. The familiar high, cold voice that was not his own issued from Other Harry's mouth as he whispered, "Avada Kedavra!"_

 _The death eater mask was blown from the person's face and Harry was horrified to see his father crumple to the ground. Other Harry moved on to the next death eater and repeated the spell. Almost too scared of what he would see, Harry turned his eyes to the other victim, only to recoil when he recognized the fiery red hair of his mother. Tears poured down his face as he watched himself murder those he loved, one by one with detached and methodical ease. By the time Other Harry was done, Harry had fallen to his knees, which had failed to hold him after watching Sirius die all over again._

 _All around his kneeling form were the people he had lost. Their lifeless forms surrounded him and he couldn't stop his eyes from moving from one body to the next. His father, mother, Cedric, Sirius and Dumbledore were laying nearest him. But then there was the entire Weasley family, Hermione, Luna, Ginny, Neville… Everyone. They were all here; all dead. Other Harry glided towards Harry, still on the gorund and carded his fingers through Harry's hair. "I'm sorry," Other Harry told him. "But this is the way it has to be."_

 _Harry's eyes took in his stoic counterpart, "Why? Why did they have to die? They…" he looked to the side to see the many bodies splayed morbidly, and shuddered. "They counted on me," he whispered brokenly. "I loved them."_

 _Other Harry reached down further to grasp Harry's hand and pulled him to his feet. They stood face to face then. "Exactly," answered Other Harry. He raised Voldemort's wand directly at Harry's face, and Harry watched his own arm mirror the movements exactly. Then they said together, "Avada Kedavra." Green light filled his vision and a loud rushing sound filled his ears…_

 _And Harry jolted awake._

 _The twins felt the sharp movement from their companion and woke as well. Harry was breathing hard and there was a visible sheen of sweat coating his skin. He slumped back onto the cushions and Fred asked concerned, "You alright?" while conjuring a glass of water._

 _Harry drank gratefully. "Yeah," he huffed out when the water was gone, "Bad dream."_

 _Hearing Harry confirm what they already guessed, the twins shifted even closer to him, as though to shield him from further nightmares. "Do you want to talk about it?" George asked, resting his head against Harry's, while Fred put his head back against Harry's legs._

" _No. Can- can you guys just stay here with me for a while longer? I'm not ready to go back out there yet," Harry asked quietly, his voice hesitant._

" _Of course we can stay, Harry. Whatever you need, we'll always be here for you," Fred assured him with a smile that George mirrored._

 _}{_

And since then, they always had been. Harry and the twins' friendship flourished after that. The twins comforted Harry when he needed it, they joked with him when they thought he was being melancholic. Harry worked with Fred and George on their inventions for the joke shop, for they were planning on reopening in the next few months. Harry could honestly say he spent more time with them than with anyone else.

There was a sudden clattering of dishes a few seats down from where Harry sat. He looked over, only to see Ginny scraping her chair back in a decidedly aggressive fashion and stomping up the stairs.

Ah. Yes. Ginny. Perhaps it was time they had a talk.

Harry had been putting off talking to Ginny about their relationship, and in hindsight it was probably not the best idea. He watched (and heard) her stomp up the stairs, and acknowledged what a knob he'd been by postponing this conversation. He'd been selfish and, to be honest, more than a little frightened at what her reaction would be. They hadn't interacted much since he returned from the horcrux hunt, other than the unavoidable family meals at the Burrow and if they ran into each other during the restoration of Hogwarts.

Knowing that the time had come to fully face Ginny and her possible wrath, Harry pushed back from the table, causing George's arm to fall from the back of his chair and effectively displacing Fred's head enough from his shoulder that he nearly slid off his chair at the loss of stability. The Weasley's still seated were all trying to inconspicuously gauge Harry's expression as he followed Ginny's path up the stairs. Harry could have sworn he heard someone hum a funeral march, then a sharp slap, probably to the back of a head, and a resulting, "Ow!"

His feet feeling heavier with each step, Harry finally was facing Ginny's bedroom door and could hear a faint grumbling coming from the other side of it. He raised his hand, braced himself and knocked hesitantly on the door. A pause in the murmuring, and footsteps. The door swung open to reveal a pink-faced and somewhat disheveled Ginny Weasley. She blinked in surprise and her mouth opened but no sound came out. They stood there staring at each other for a moment… a few moments, until Harry belatedly realized he still had his fist raised to knock. He quickly put his arm down and the motion seemed to rouse Ginny from her thoughts. She cleared her throat and opened the door wider so he could slide past her into the room.

Once the door clicked shut, Harry turned back around to face Ginny while she leaned against it, studying him. Harry opened his mouth to try to explain how he felt about her… and also what he no longer felt about her. She beat him to the punch, however. "You know, you're a right idiot," she stated baldly.

His moth snapped shut. _Idiot?_ She continued, "Not me though. I'm not a complete moron, so I know that you've been avoiding making sudden movements around me because you've been afraid to tell me that you don't want to be with me anymore." His gaze snapped to hers and he saw her eyes were alive with… Irritation? Exasperation? Both, most-likely.

Thoroughly nonplussed by how this discussion was going, Harry could only stutter in answer, "What? I- how…?" He trailed off and sighed, running a hand through is hair. "I'm so sorry, Ginny."

She scoffed at him, "For what? For not loving me anymore? For not telling me as soon as everything was settled, but instead waiting weeks like a coward? I mean, really Harry! It's not like I was going to kill you for not feeling the same for me as you used to." She paused and seemed to be considering her next words carefully. "Not when I don't feel the same for you either."

Harry's mouth dropped open, and he knew he must look stupid, but he couldn't help it. "Y-you mean you don't love me either?"

"Nope," she stated, her lips twitching, barely concealing the smile that was threatening to unfold across her face.

"Wha…? Then what was all the fuss about, Gin? If you don't want to with me either, then why were you so upset? Merlin's beard, I thought I was walking to my doom, and here you are all smug and smiling!" Harry sagged against the wall nearest him and blew out a large breath of relief.

"Why was I upset? Are you kidding me right now? Harry's it's been weeks! Weeks of you dodging me and practically fleeing when I came into a room you happened to be in. I know you didn't want to hurt my feelings but you should've summoned some of that Gryffindor courage and been honest with me! You left me hanging, uncertain of where we stood and you only decided to confront me today because I made a spectacle of myself in the kitchen, which was ridiculous and embarrassing, by the way."

By the time she'd finished, Harry was feeling extremely cowed. "You're right, Gin. I've been a selfish, dishonest sod. I'm so sorry for treating you like you didn't matter, I was just so afraid I'd hurt you if I told you the truth. I know you said that you don't care for me that way anymore, so it's pretty much agreed that we're finished, but I owe you an explanation anyway." Harry looked at her, asking silent permission to continue.

Ginny smiled faintly at him, "I think I may know, but it'd be best if you actually said it. Then it'll be done with and we can move on."

Harry nodded gratefully. "Ginny, you should know that I really did care for you a great deal when we were together. But looking back on it now, I'm honestly not sure it was love that I felt for you. I liked you. You're beautiful, and fun and kind. You're a hell of a quidditch player and you're so generous. You, Ginny, area genuinely good person, so how could I not like you? In a perfect world, where I was just your brother's best mate, and you were just the pretty red-head a year below me, maybe we could have been more. But we've both been through so much, seen so much darkness that we just can't fit. I will always be your friend Gin, and I hope you find someone that fits you better than I ever could."

Ginny had a tear rolling slowly down her cheek, but she was still smiling at him. He couldn't help think of how truly lovely she was, still gracing him with a smile while their relationship was summarily ended. She let out a long breath, and stepped closer to him. Reaching out, her hand curved around his cheek and she leaned in to kiss his forehead. Her lips still brushing his skin as she whispered, "Thank you, Harry. I know you'll find someone that fits you too." She pulled back and wiped her face.

He smiled at her and reached out a hand for her to take, "Still friends?"

She laughed and eyed his outstretched hand. A smirk rose to her lips, while a mischievous glint entered her eyes. "Tell you what: How about we play for it? Seekers game out in the orchard, just you and me. You win, we're square and life's peaceful for both of us; you're completely forgiven. I win, you grovel for a week and buy me whatever I want for that time, only after which we are square and you're forgiven. What do you say?"

Harry's smile gained a challenging undertone and he replied, "You're on."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello, dear readers! My goodness, it has been... quite some time, hasn't it? Heh, yeah. *clears throat* Anywho, I would like to thank you for holding on as patiently as you have, I have no excuse other than I lost my inspiration. I could not get the words to flow at all, I was treading through cement. But! Times have changed! I got this chapter out! One whole chapter! That is very exciting for me because that means the juices, they be a-flowin'. I hope that the rest of this story will come a tad easier than this chapter did. I hope you enjoy, and don't give up on me just yet. I've got this, bros! I got this. Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

The seekers game didn't last too long, maybe a bit over an hour. Harry's skills were rusty, as were Ginny's. Planning to take it easy on her, because Harry didn't see any harm in groveling at Ginny's feet in the form of extravagant gifts, he held back… that is until his red-headed ex broom-checked him midair and told him that if he held back anymore she would, "personally reacquaint you with a splintered broom handle in a rather more intimate manner than what you are accustomed, Harry Potter! Now you fly like you mean it, or I'll tell Bill and Charlie that you made me cry."

Needless to say Harry did his absolute most to wipe the floor with Ginny after that. Easier said than done apparently, it was immediately obvious that his game had suffered due to his extended Quidditch hiatus. He felt distinctly more uncomfortable the longer he was sat on the broom and his turns were sloppier than usual. He did manage two catches before Ginny made her first. They were playing most out of ten, and Harry barely surpassed Ginny with six to her four.

They landed with Ginny still apologizing for a rapidly forming bruise decorating Harry's cheek when her elbow had collided with his face in her haste to follow the practice snitch that had swerved suddenly upward. She caught it making the fourth and final catch of the game. Harry was simply chuckling at her apologies while one hand was holding his now throbbing face. The spectating Weasleys all vanished their own chairs and traipsed back inside the Burrow, with Molly clucking at Ginny about being too aggressive, and the latter defending her actions.

"Mum, I apologized. And what did you expect me to do? The snitch changed direction, so I followed. Not all of us can just wait for the snitch to fly down our throats."

Hearing the last bit Harry looked up to see Ginny grinning cheekily at him. "That was one time!"

Ron laughed at his friend's outraged face, with the twins chuckling behind him. "Oh, come on mate, it was the most ridiculous snitch grab I've ever seen. You practically puked it up."

Harry's mouth gaped open, trying to think of a good response. He had to settle for pouting however… He really did kind of puke it up.

After a quick shower, Harry decided to go to Diagon to finally replace his appalling clothing and perhaps find somewhere that did hair, and someone with the skill to tame his locks. Once at the bottom of the stairs, Harry set about looking for Ginny, assuming she would enjoy helping him shop. He didn't have to look far, she was at the kitchen table looking at the drawing room door in mild disgust. She glanced a up at Harry's, "...Um?"

Ginny just motioned at the door with a vague, "Bleurgh," and Harry decided that explanation was quite lacking and opened the door. He swiftly closed it and put his back against it, trying with all his might to scrub his mind clean of that image. Apparently Hermione was visiting.

"Uh," Harry cleared his throat and composed himself. "I was going to Diagon to replace my entire wardrobe and possibly get a haircut. You wanna come?"

Before Ginny could answer, there was a great fumbling sound from the drawing room. Harry was flung forward when the door was thrown open by a very disheveled and red-lipped Hermione, panting, "I'm…coming, too." Harry and Ginny both gawked at her for a moment before Ginny snorted and proceeded to howl with laughter. Harry cracked a grin and joined her. Hermione adjusted her clothing and finger-combed her hair while the two gathered themselves. Ron had joined them in the kitchen by that time and was scowling. "What's this then? Where are we going?"

Harry, still grinning said, "Shopping."

Ron grimaced, "Oh, uh, think I'll sit it out, thanks," and started up the stairs, most-likely to have a nap. Before he could make it another step, Harry reached out and snatched him backwards.

"Oh, no. I'm not going anywhere with them on my own. I need back-up," Harry insisted.

When Ron only blinked slowly at him, Harry tried, "I defeated Voldemort."

Ron only snorted at him, "Big deal, I helped."

Last ditch effort, "Iiiiiii…" he drew the word out wracking his brain for suitable blackmail material, until finally he found his saving grace.

He smirked evilly at his friend, who paled drastically, "Remember that thing that you were curious about? That _muggle_ thing? You wanted to know how it worked in preventing—"

Ron, cut him off with a violent wave of his arms, "Okay! Okay, fine," he blew out a breath and avoided looking at Hermione, who was glancing back and forth between her two best friends curiously. "Low blow, Harry." He shook his head in mock betrayal, to which Harry grinned.

"Great," he said. "Now that that's been sorted, let's go, shall we?"

The group fetched their shoes that were piled by the door and called a quick farewell to , who acknowledged there departure from somewhere up the stairs. One by one they flooed to the Leaky Cauldron, called a greeting to Tom, the barman who waved jovially back at them before making their way through to Diagon. With the war officially over, it was crowded once again. Every way you looked there were witches and wizards haggling with vendors, gawking at display windows or helping to restore a shop. Though not completely returned to its original state, Diagon Alley was bustling with life and Harry could not be happier about it.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny made their way to Gringotts to collect some gold to spend. Well, Harry gathered enough for all of them to spend. "So! Where to first, guys? Hair or clothes?"

Ginny and Hermione shared a glance while Ron's eyes strayed to Harry's admittedly ridiculous hair situation. "Hair!" they all declared.

Ginny led them through the thong of shoppers to a small storefront, three down from Twilfitt and Tattings, simply topped with a black sign that read 'Shear Magic' in silver letters.

"Here we are! Shear Magic. Never had my hair done here myself, bit rich for my blood but Harry can afford it. Can't you, Harry?"

Before Harry could even open his mouth Ginny continued, "Of course you can. Said to be the best salon in magical Britain, so hopefully they can tame even that tangled mound of demon-mane. Shall we?" Ginny opened the door with a flourish and a bow, and followed the other three into a well-lit, clean entry way.

A well-dressed man in his mid-twenties smiled brightly at them from behind a silver counter with a black marble surface. "Hello! Welcome to Shear Magic, where life isn't perfect but your hair can be! My name is Henry, how can I help you today?"

Once again taking the lead, Ginny stepped around the trio and address Henry. "Hello, Henry! My name is Ginny and my friend Harry here is in desperate need of some hair help, as you can clearly see. We were wondering if you could fit him in today." She finished off with a bright smile.

Henry glanced at Harry and nodded, "Well, let me check the appointment book and see if we can't squeeze you in before our next client. Hmm… next appointment isn't for forty minutes. I'm not sure that's enough time." He looked up at Harry once again, as if to check that his hair was still in the state it was when they entered.

"It'll have to do. The next client can wait if necessary. It's not every day we get the Savior of the wizarding world in here. And, to be honest ever since your picture appeared in the Prophet during the Triwizard Tournament, I've wanted a crack at your hair."

Harry shifted uneasily and reached up to touch his head, suddenly very self-conscious. He saw Henry grin reassuringly at him and snap the appointment book closed decisively, motioning for the four to follow him behind the counter. Following Henry, they arrived in yet another well-lit room filled with evenly spaced salon chairs and stations, each with their own privacy screen and beverage cart. Each station had a luxuriously cushioned white leather chair with footrest and armrests, complete with cup holders and attached hand massagers. In front of the chair was a grand circular mirror with an intricate iron frame, resting above a white work station covered in many brightly colored potions and sprays and gels, along with both magical and muggle styling tools.

Henry led Harry over to the middle chair on the right side and conjured three comfortable-looking armchairs for Hermione, Ron and Ginny. All three eagerly took their seats, eyes already riveted on Harry and the stylist, not wanting to miss a moment of the transformation. Harry took his own admittedly perfectly-cushioned chair, while Henry summoned a black smock and directed it to cover Harry with the wand previously stuck in the pocket of his black and silver trimmed apron.

"Would any of you like any refreshments before we begin? This will take…" Henry paused to run a hand through Harry's nest and promptly got his fingers stuck in a knot. "…Quite a while, I think," he finished after negotiating his hand out from Harry's hair.

"Some lemonade would be lovely if you have it," Hermione answered with Ginny and Ron nodding in agreement.

"Of course," Henry returned. He flicked his wand at the beverage cart which moved to slide along the other three chairs, distributing crystal glasses of iced lemonade, before parking itself beside them so they could help themselves to more if they liked. Satisfied that the other three were taken care of, Henry turned his attention back to Harry in the mirror who was looking decidedly nervous.

He put his hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed comfortingly. "Now Harry, did you have a particular cut already in mind or…" Henry let his sentence drift off into a question.

Harry shook his head, "No, just something I can manage without too much effort in the mornings. Other than that, go crazy. I think we can all agree that anything would be better than this mess," he finished with a chuckle.

Henry's eyes glinted, "A free-reign cut and style on Harry Potter. Oh!" He clapped his hands excitedly, "What a wonderful day! Okay," he suddenly turned serious and held eye contact with Harry in the mirror, "Harry. I need you not to worry, I am very good at my job, and I already have the perfect idea. Just trust me. Alright?"

Harry nodded silently and removed his glasses. Henry took them and passed them to Ron who, of course, put them on right away. His voice became somber, "I'm Harry Potter and I am the hero to all, bow to me peons and gaze upon my glory in reverent envy!" Harry snorted and Ginny laughed outright, while Hermione and Henry tittered quietly.

"Lemme try, lemme try!" called Ginny and reached for the glasses which Ron happily handed to her. She donned them and her face grew serious, "Bravery and fool-hardy courage are my bread and butter! Greatness was thrust upon me and I rose to each challenge, age restrictions and rules be damned! By God, I am magnificent!"

Harry, Henry, Ron and Hermione were all laughing loudly now, none of them hearing the bells on the door to the shop jingle as someone entered.

Hermione wiped her eyes and took the glasses Ginny handed her, and she struggled to school her features into seriousness. "Savior you say? Why, no no, not at all, I am but a humble man! Please, please, no pictures, well if you insist, here!" She turned to the left, "This is my good side. Ladies, gents do control yourselves," the saucy wink she directed at them was the final straw, and they were gasping, Ron laughing so hard his laugh was soundless.

Gradually the guffaws tapered off and they smiled at one another. Henry was the first to remember that he was there in a professional capacity. He straightened, grinned and cleared his throat. "Well, now that that's out of our systems, shall we begin?"


End file.
